Rounding machine



' RGUNDING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1939 a: I f

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 U E STATES PATENT F IC Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Fleniington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 1 Application June 1, 1939, Serial No. 276,846

This invention relates to machines by which work-pieces, such as shoe-soles,.are formed to a "1 catedwith relation to the pattern by gaging means: it i An-organization of the characterof. that indicated-above is disclosedin Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,139,485,13ertrand, December 6,1938. Inthis apparatus, the gaging means is normally in active co-operation with the pattern and is moved away whenthe workis clamped for the'ope'rationi upon it, so contact with it of the traveling knife mechanism is avoided. If the gaging means is notthus withdrawn from the pattern and maintained in an inactive relation, it

will be struck bythe knife mechanism and the machineinjured. Itis an object of my invention to guard against such anaccidentin a simple and effective manner and without interfering with the usual elements of the machine.

To attain this end, I add to the previously mentioned pattern, knife and gage, together with means, as lever.mechamsm,,movable to control the travel of the knife,,means movable with the gage into position to beengaged by an element moving with" the controlling means to govern the movement thereof, asby preventing its movement until the gage is withdrawn from the path of the knife; little change in the customary machine structure and may be so located that such parts as those of a motor-drive may remain undisturbed. Moreover, after the gage has been removed from the path of the knife, I provide meansgfor preventing it from again assuming its active position while the knife is in motion. The means for preventing movement of the knife-controlling means and the return of the gage to its active position is herein shown as furnished by. a single member, which may be movable with the gage. The particular form of the invention disclosed herein. utilizes lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife and treadle mechanism through which the gage is moved, there being members movable with which joins the treadle mechanism to the gage,

and a projection. from thelever mechanism for controlling the knife, co-operate in the control both of. the lever mechanism and the treadle mechanism and therefore the position of the gage.

This safety means may be applied with 13 Claims. (CI. 12-25) The accompanying drawing shows a single possible embodiment of my invention, i

Fig. 1 illustrating in side elevation portions of a sole-rounding machine, with the associated novel elements, all being in their normal positions; while r Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation upon a smaller scale than Fig. 1, and in which the starting lever appears as actuated.

The machine, in connection with whichI have chosen to disclose my invention, is'of the well known Planet type, it being provided with the work-gaging means of the patent previouslyreferred to. A pattern I!) is fixed in position upon the frame l2 of the machine and the work, as a sole-blank, is secured in place upon it by aclamp l4, carried by a spindle l6 arrangedto reciprocate vertically in an overhanging frame-arm I8. The

clamp is caused to descend to engage the work by connections (not illustrated) ,to treadle mechanism T, mounted at the bottom of theframe. Supported .upon a block 20 is a knife 22 actuated to travel under the guidance of the pattern, about its periphery, to form a clamped blank. As is pattern, the lever being held down during an operating cycle by a latch 28 (Fig. 2) and automatically released and restored to its normal position at the termination of the cycle. At this time, a lever. 30, fulcrumed at 32 and linked to the lever 24 at 34, applies abrake to the driving element of the clutch to check the advance of the knife. To locate the blank before it is clamped; gaging mechanism is associated with the pattern. One or more gage members 38 are eachmounted upon a carrier 40, secured to the lower extremity-of an arm42 fast upon such a shaft as 44, rotatable in an extension from the frame-arm IB. Attached to another arm 46 projecting upwardly from the shaft is a connecting member in the form of a cable 48,'which is joined at 50 to a movable element of the treadle mechanism T. When the treadle is in its normal elevated position, these connections permit the gage mechanism to assume the position appearing in Fig. 1 of the drawing, in its active relation to the pattern, ready to determine the correct location of a blank. The gaging of the blank having been accomplished, the operator depresses the treadle to lower the clamp l4 and secure the work for the rounding operation. The actionof the trea- 55 dle mechanism applies tension to the cable 48, rotating the shaft 44 to move the gage 38 outwardly and upwardly clear of the path of the knife mechanism. The operator then throws down the hand-lever 24 to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, where it is temporarily retained by the latch 28. The power mechanism is brought into action to cause the knife 22 to travel about the pattern and cut'the clamped blank to the desired form. When the knife reaches its normal position, the lever 24 is freed and rises, disconnecting power from the knife and applying the brake to the driven member of the clutch through the lever 30. Upon release of the treadle, all the elements will have been restored to normal.

It will be seen that, with the rounding apparatus as above outlined, to avoid damage to its elements, the treadle mechanism "and starting lever mechanism must be operated in a definite sequence. Were the starting lever to be actuated and the clutch engaged before depression of the treadle, the gage 33 would lie in the path of the knife mechanism and breakage would result. Further, were the treadle released during the travel of the knife, the same thing might occur. Both these conditions are rendered impossible by my invention. About the cable 48 is secured a tubular supporting member or sleeve, formed in two sections 52 and 54, which may be joined by a right-and-left threaded sleeve 56, so there is furnished means for taking up slack in the connections. Threaded for vertical adjustment upon the section 52, is a contact-block 58, which, to holdit against displacement, may be backed by an abutment 60 rising from a bracket 62 fastened to the frame. From the brake-lever 30 rises a projection 64, the upper end of which is adjacent to the block 58. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 1, the block is so placed upon the support 52 that, when the treadle mechanism and the starting lever mechanism are in their initial positions, the end of the projection lies close to the side of the block. If the operator attempts to actuate the lever before depressing the treadle, and therefore with the gage still in the path of the knife, the projection will strike the block. This, held against rearward movement by the abutment 60, will prevent engagement of the lever-controlled clutch, and the power-cycle of the machine cannot be started, When the treadle is lowered and the gage elevated clear of the knife, the cable carries the block down to the level shown in Fig. 2. Now, the lever-projection 64 may pass over the top. of the block, the movement-being sufiicient for the lever to assume its position beneath the latch 28, at which the clutch is engaged so the knife may make its operating circuit about the pattern. The starting lever is thus held by the latch until the powercycle of the machine is completed. In Fig. 2, it will be seen that the end of the projection overhangs the top of the block and is in close proximity to it. Therefore, if the operator inadvertently releases the treadle, the block and cable will be held from rising and the gage will be locked in its elevated position, clear of the knife. When the knife has returned to its normal position and the clutch is disengaged, the lever is unlatched automatically and the operator may free the treadle, so the gage is restored to its active relation adjacent to the pattern. This causes the block to assume its initial, lever-locking position.

It will be seen that the elements by which I attain my novel result are few in number, readily applied to the machine and are so located that they produce no interference. The arrangement is especially desirable, in that if a motor-drive is to be provided, the portion of the frame upon which the parts would be mounted is left free.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a workgage movable into and. out of co-operation with the pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, means movable to control the travel of the knife, and means movable with the gage into position to be engaged by an element moving with the controlling means to govern the movement thereof.

2. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, a workgage movable between active and inactive positions, and means movable independently of the work-gage for preventing said work-gage from assuming its active position when the rounding knife is in motion.

3. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, a member movable to control the travel of the knife, a work-gage movable between active and inactive positions, a member movable independently of the first member to effect the gage-movement, and means including an element movable with the controlling member for preventing the workgage from assuming its active position under the influence of its moving member.

4. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a workgage movable into and out of co-operation with the pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, means movable to control the travel of the knife, and a member movable to two positions respectively preventing movement of the gage and of the controlling means.

5. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a workgage movable into and out of co-operation with the pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, means movable to control the travel of the knife, and a member movable with the gage to govern the movement of said gage and of the controlling means.

6. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife, a gage movable toward and from the pattern, treadle mechanism through which the gage is moved, and members movable with the lever mechanism and treadle mechanism respectively into positions in which they contact to prevent movement of the lever mechanism.

7. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife, a gage movable toward and from the pattern, treadle mechanism through which the gage'is moved, and members movable with the lever mechanism and treadle mechanism respectively and co-op- .erating to prevent movement of the treadle mechanism. 1

8. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife travel-ing about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife, a gage movable toward and from the pattern, treadle mechanism through which the gage is moved, and members movable with the lever mechanism and treadlemechanism respectively and co-operating to prevent movement of the lever mechanism to a position for initiating the travel .of

the knife and of the treadle mechanism to :a

gage movable toward and from the'pattern, and

treadle mechanism through which the gage is moved, the two mechanisms having elements movable into positions in which they contact to prevent actuation of the lever mechanism.

10. In a rounding machine, apattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife, a gage movable toward and from the pattern, and treadle mechanism through which the gage is moved, the two mechanisms having elements movable into positions in which they contact to prevent release of the treadle mechanism.

11. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife and having a projection, a gage movable toward and from the pattern, treadle mechanism, a cable joining the treadle mechanism to the gage, and

a block carried by the cable, the block being positioned for engagement by the projection when the treadle mechanism is unactuated.

12. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife and having a projection, a gage movable toward and from the pattern, treadle mechanism, a cable joining the treadle mechanism to the gage, a

block carried by the cable and arranged for engagement by the projection, and a fixed abutmerit for preventing displacement of the block by the projection.

13. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a rounding knife traveling about the pattern, lever mechanism for controlling the travel of the knife and having a projection, a gagemovable toward and from the pattern, treadle mechanism, a cable joining the treadle mechanism to the gage, and a block carried bythe cable, the projection being positioned for engagement by the block when the lever mechanism is actuated.

LLOYD G. MILLER. 

